Sunday morning, the Josephine County 4-H Association sent trucks with large flat bed trailers to the Josephine County Fairgrounds. The purpose was to remove pigpens and other equipment from the fairgrounds.
I learned about this yesterday morning when Jen McGowen called me while the removal effort was underway. She said county commissioners were there as well as the Sheriff.
McGowen said yesterday that she “led the fundraising effort to buy new pigpens for the 4H clubs in Josephine County. 100% of the money was raised locally.” She ran the deposits and expenses through the 4H checking account only.
I asked her what they planned to do for our upcoming fair. “We are borrowing pigpens from neighboring counties. We will be replacing them after fair if our pens are not returned.”
She told me the pens cost $76,297 back in 2017 and 2018 when they were purchased. The cost to replace the pens would be over one hundred thousand dollars.
McGowen posted more on her Facebook page:
“Well this is a very sad day!! Back in 2016 I started the process of raising funds for the kids of Josephine county pig kids.
A group of individuals and myself and about 50 kids sold ducks and were gifted 20,000$ towards the purchase of our pens.
“My friend Nancy Nelson and I held the wild Wild West benefit auction to pay for the remainder of the pens. These pens were donated to the Josephine county fairgrounds so that all kids for the remainder of The pens lives.
“Because a few individuals are upset about what is going on with 4-H in our county they are here to take the pens.
“I wonder if SOS, Fields, Farmers, Evergreen Federal and all the other countless business to include the Grants Pass Rotary who had our kids sell ducks for them and the young farmers who supported our kids for years would like to know that their funds went to something that will no longer be here for the kids.
“Don’t worry we have rose before; we will figure this out. Thank you Josephine county 4-h leaders association for proving to us that this was in fact not about the kids for you ever.”
McGowen is one of the founders of Youth and Ag which replaced 4-H in Josephine County. She wrote about why local 4-H leaders launched Youth and Ag in an article in the Eagle.
Fed Up Parents Launch Alternative to 4-H Clubs
Josephine County 4-H Association Board Meeting
The Eagle obtained a copy of the Josephine County 4-H Association Meeting Minutes for July 11, 2024.
Board members in attendance were Cindee Andres, Sharon Watson, Brooke Armstrong, Skye Arispe, Tina Grow and Emma Arispe (state ambassador).
One item of business shows the group scheduled the removal of the equipment for Sunday morning and that it would provide notice by phone to the office that morning.
“Collecting pig pens/steer panels: Skye moved that we collect our belongings from the fairgrounds on Sunday, July 21 (pending transport being available). We will give notice to the fairgrounds via phone call to the office that morning. Seconded by Tina Grow. Passed unanimously. Sharon moved to rent a temporary storage space (if needed) to hold the program’s property until we can move it to a more permanent location. Seconded by Tina Grow. Unanimously approved.”
Local Leaders Speak Out
Josephine County Commissioner John West was there Sunday morning and met with Jen McGowen.
Speaking for himself (not the county), West offered his opinion on the situation, “We are not taking this move from OSU and the 4H association sitting down. They are trying to hurt the kids of Josephine county and punish them. We will see them in court and show how greedy and disrespectful they are of the citizens and kids of Josephine County. They want a fight they will get one. This proves the board was right: OSU is not good for Josephine county. They are self-serving. OSU started this fight. Josephine County and our kids will win the war!!!!!”
West provided the Eagle with pictures of the pens being removed from the fairgrounds. You can view them at the Oregon Eagle website.
State Rep. Dwayne Yunker provided a statement to the Eagle, “This is obviously not about the kids. What group of people would remove pens for animals two weeks before the fair starts knowing that children would need those pens for their animals? This was a coordinated move by the board of the Josephine County 4-H Association along with help by OSU Extension services to hurt children.”
“Other Items: End-of-year celebration, can we have this somewhere other than the extension auditorium? We wil [sic] look into having a movie night at Caveman Pool or a bowling party.”
After losing all their funding, what do local 4-H leaders have to celebrate?
I understand the desire for an alternative venue. After yesterday’s actions, the Josephine County Fairgrounds may change the locks on the extension service buildings.
Commissioner West just provided me with an update. “OSU says they are trying to get them back. 4-H Association is holding them in McKinleyville, California at the trucking company yard.”
Maybe OSU was in the dark. We don’t want to put OSU Extension state leaders in the doghouse when this pigpen removal was the result of local 4-H board members.